YSRCP leaders allege political vendetta as party in-charge arrested in Ampolu case

Senior leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), including former Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Dharmana Krishna Das and MLC Kumbha Ravibabu, have strongly condemned the arrest of the party's Amadalavalasa constituency in-charge, Chintada Ravikumar. The arrest took place on the night of Saturday, August 8, 2026, on the outskirts of Srikakulam.

According to the police, Mr. Ravikumar and 25 others have been arrested on charges of misbehaviour with a woman Sub-Inspector during the visit of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to Ampolu on July 30, 2026. The former Chief Minister had visited Ampolu to console former Minister Seediri Appalaraju, who had been arrested in a case related to an accident involving his son.

In a press release, Mr. Prasada Rao alleged that the State government had misused the police for political vendetta against YSRCP leaders in Srikakulam and other parts of the State. He claimed that a heated argument with the police during Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit was made a pretext to arrest Mr. Ravikumar. He further said that video footage from the visit clearly showed that Mr. Ravikumar had not misbehaved with anyone.

Mr. Ravibabu, an MLC, urged the government to withdraw all cases filed against YSRCP leaders, asserting that they had not crossed their limits. He said the arrests were unwarranted and appeared to be aimed at suppressing legitimate political activities. Mr. Dharmana Krishna Das, another former Minister, also condemned the arrest and demanded the immediate release of all those taken into custody, describing the charges as baseless.

The YSRCP staged protests in Amadalavalasa and other places over the arrests. Party workers gathered in significant numbers, raising slogans against the State government and demanding justice for the arrested leaders. The protests were reported to be peaceful, with no untoward incidents.

Family members of some of the accused claimed that several individuals named in the First Information Report were not present in town on July 30, 2026. They alleged that the police had included their names intentionally, possibly under political pressure. They demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and expressed confidence that the truth would come to light.

Meanwhile, no official response from the State government or the police to the allegations of political vendetta was available at the time of writing. The developments have heightened tensions in the Srikakulam region, with the YSRCP vowing to continue its protests until the cases are withdrawn. The legal proceedings in the matter are expected to be heard in the coming days.